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Stormwind (region)
thumb|The battered flag of Azeroth from the Second War. thumb|The flag in its perfect form. The lion's head remains as the symbol of the renamed kingdom. *Population: 200,000 (140,000 human, 28,000 Ironforge dwarf, 20,000 high elf, 8,000 half-elf, 4000 night elf). *Capital: Stormwind City (200,000). *Affiliation: Alliance. The Kingdom of Stormwind (or simply Stormwind) is a human nation in the southern Eastern Kingdoms. Prior to World of Warcraft, the kingdom was known as the Kingdom of Azeroth, and was one of the original Seven Kingdoms that split from the nation of Arathor . The capital of the kingdom is the city of Stormwind. The main kingdom is a city-state within the continent of Azeroth. The actual kingdom of Stormwind doesn't go much beyond the boundaries of the city itself , however it also controls or influences other territories including Elwynn Forest (including Northshire Valley), the Redridge Mountains, Westfall, and Duskwood. History The Kingdom of Azeroth was originally founded approximately a millennium before the First War by the descendants of the Arathi bloodline who migrated south from the nation of Arathor. It had a long and peaceful history, with the king served loyally by the knights of the Brotherhood of the Horse and the clerics of the Order of Northshire. Prior to the First War, the Wrynn dynasty ruled over the kingdom. Azeroth's idyllic existence was shattered with the opening of the Dark Portal and the invasion of the orcish Horde. After a long and bloody war which cost the lives of both King Wrynn III and his son King Llane Wrynn, the orcs overran the entire kingdom, forcing the survivors to flee to Lordaeron. Anduin Lothar became Regent Lord, guiding the refugee nation in the name of the young Varian Wrynn. Azeroth in Warcraft II NOTE: The following information is taken from the Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness manual. Leader: Regent Lord Anduin Lothar Nation Color: Blue Background: Before the coming of the Age of Chaos when the Portal was first opened, the kingdom of Azeroth was the mightiest of all Human nations. Ruled by the wise and just King Llane, Azeroth stood as a beacon of light and truth throughout the known world. After the First War, Azeroth and all of its lands were devastated by the Horde. With King Llane dead, Sir Lothar took charge of the shattered armies of Azeroth and led the survivors across the Great Sea to the shores of Lordaeron. King Terenas, ruler of Lordaeron, agreed to support the landless Azerothiens. The people of Azeroth settled near the Southshore region of Lordaeron, pledging their loyalty to the Alliance. Battle-hardened and brave, the last of the once great armies of Azeroth now seek retribution for the loss of their homeland. Current status (Stormwind) Following the victory of the Alliance of Lordaeron over the Horde, the kingdom was reclaimed and rebuilt. Following the events of Third War it was renamed to its current name of Stormwind. Its lands outside of Elwynn are currently in severe distress, as the capital has not provided the military aid required to defend against the Defias in Elwynn and Westfall, Blackrock orcs in Redridge, and the undead in Darkshire. The source of this discord can be traced to Lady Katrana Prestor, who is in reality the black dragon Onyxia. King Varian has been kidnapped, and his young son Anduin Wrynn made king in his absence. In World of Warcraft, Onyxia's plot is uncovered and her hold over the regent, Bolvar Fordragon, is broken. Kingdom name Up to and including Warcraft III, within the manuals, games, and novels, this kingdom was referred to as the Kingdom of Azeroth, however in World of Warcraft and accompanying resources this kingdom is called the Kingdom of Stormwind. This name change appeared to be retroactive, as sources describing the kingdom in a historical context referred to it as the Kingdom of Stormwind. However, the Alliance Player's Guide, released June 2006, refers to the pre-Third War kingdom as the Kingdom of Azeroth. This may have been another retcon in order to tie the various sources together. Alternatively, the modern name could have been applied in to the historical kingdom in some texts merely to aid in understanding and avoid unnecessary explanation, in which case, there would not have actually ever been a retcon per se. There are no examples of the name Azeroth being applied to modern Stormwind. In Tides of Darkness, 2007, references to nation of Stormwind and Azeroth, appear to be used interchangeably. Although, in the context, when the book makes use of the term Stormwind as the kingdom it seems to refer to a city-state style nation that only includes the city, and not the surrounding lands. Whereas the use of Azeroth refers to all the surrounding lands, including those owned & controlled by Stormwind. This is similar to how Stormwind is used in Lands of Conflict as well. Azeroth is still used as the name of the continent on which the kingdom is located, though this usage in World of Warcraft is very rare. See Also *History of Warcraft **The Seven Kingdoms Category:Human Nations Category:Human territories